The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken has urged Rwandan President Paul Kagame to end alleged support for the M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo, voicing alarm over rising bloodshed, the State Department said Monday.
According to the statement released by the spokesman for the United States Department of State Edward Ned Price, the secretary of state Antony Blinken in a telephone call on Sunday “made clear that any external support to non-state armed groups in the DRC must end, including Rwanda’s assistance to M23, an armed group that has been designated by the United States and the United Nations”.
A mostly Congolese Tutsi group, the M23 first leaped to prominence in 2012 by briefly capturing the city of Goma. After a peace deal in 2013, many M23 fighters were integrated into the military.
The group resumed fighting in late 2021, saying the DRC had failed to honor a pledge to integrate its fighters into the army, among other grievances. The rebel group is allegedly supported by Rwanda.
Below is the statement from Edward Ned Price
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke yesterday with Rwandan President Paul Kagame to discuss the importance of peace and stability in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Secretary Blinken expressed strong support for regional mediation and dialogue led by Angola and the East African Community.
He underscored the need for concrete progress on and implementation of commitments made during these discussions, including the November 23 Luanda Mini-Summit on Peace and Security communiqué. Secretary Blinken made clear that any external support to non-state armed groups in the DRC must end, including Rwanda’s assistance to M23, an armed group that has been designated by the United States and the United Nations.
Secretary Blinken also shared deep concern about the impact of the fighting on Congolese civilians who have been killed, injured and displaced from their homes. Secretary Blinken condemned the resurgence of hate speech and public incitement against Rwandaphone communities, recalling the real and horrible consequences of such rhetoric in the past.
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